Never Know
by B00ksaholic
Summary: Random one-shot, maybe later a short story Chloe, Derek, Simon, Tori, and Andrew at the Safe House. The start.


**Pretty random one-shot. Might be a short story. It's just the beginning of Chloe and the others finding themselves at the Safe House-- Chloe's a little different, more fiesty. 'Kay read and enjoy.**

"Chloe, my God, hurry up! You've been in the shower for, like, an hour! C'mon, I need a shower too!" Tori continues to shout and attack the bathroom door with full force of her fists. She's been at it for the past hour. Could she be anymore impatient? Oh well. My plan seems to be according.

The hot water of the shower cleanses each fiber of my skin - ah, the glory of showers! Man, have i missed them. I finish washing out my strawberry milkshake conditioner (of which i stole from Tori) and run my hair under the water one last time before i feel the water begin to chill. Yes, enjoy your shower Tori. I smile to myself and scrubs the remaining amount of soap from it's bar against the floor of the tub. I turn the handle of the shower to shut off the water.

"Alright, alright already!" I send to Tori as i squeeze the excess water from my poorly dyed hair. At least Simon has surprised me with finding red highlight dye when we got here at the Safe House. So now my hair is a dull black with bright red highlights where i had placed them. After stepping out I wrap a gray towel around myself and secure at the top of my chest, my wet hair lays limp against my neck. Fog clouds the room so i wipe a circle of the steam from the mirror to check my face a little. I go to the door and open it, warm steam presses out. Tori stands on the other side with crossed arms and a towel at hand. A very irritated and impatient look plastered on her face. Mission completed. "There. Are you happy now? You can have your precious shower," I nag, stepping out the door. Tori glares at me before rushing into the bathroom and slamming the door shut.

Excitement flushes within me as i lean against the closed door so my right ear can press against it. I hear a shuffling on the other side and then the clanging of the shower curtains rods. Tori's feet platter into the tub and then-

"AH! THIS WATER IS FREAKING COLD! CHLOE! WHERES MY CONDITIONER, AND THE SOAP! CHLOE!"

My hysterical laughter echoes into the hallway. That'll teach her to stop being such a bitch to me. Well at least i hope. I'm a bit tired of her negativity towards me, I've always been nice to her but what do i get? Bitchy-ness. Lots of it.

"What are you doing?" Asks the voice of Derek from behind me, making me jump. My wet feet slip a little on the wooden floor. Derek helps steady me by holding my by my bare elbow. Luckily my towel doesn't fall to the floor from where i ties it. "Always clumsy," mumbles Derek after he lets go of my elbow.

"Hey! I'm getting better," I try to defend myself, feinding offence. A ghost of a smile flickers across his face.

"Sure you are," he says. "What are you doing?" he repeats with curiosity smothering his features. I notice that the shower has been turned of and Tori is still silently inside. She's probably having a hissy fit and is sitting on the floor waiting for the water to get hot again.

I turn to Derek, I wonder if he'll find my act as funny as i think it is.

"Well you see, I--"

"Stole Tori's conditioner, drained all the soap, and then used up all the hot water, no?" Derek indicates slyly. I look up at him with my eyebrows raised and biting my lip. How does he know that? So i ask exactly that.

"Might be because that's what i would do if i was in your position," admits Derek. Then he tilts his head to the side. "Actually, mostly because i could smell both the soap and strawberry milkshake going down the drain. As for using all the hot water - Tori had it coming." Wow, Derek's actually being "nice" to me. Though he had been pretty nice towards me before when we both made our way to Andrews house. We had just made it to the Safe House, hopefully the "nice" attitude Derek has won't change. I like him this way.

I chuckle, "Maybe you can help me plan my next attack," I say, "The initial plan is foiling Tori's evil side. Maybe then she'll stop being such a--"

"I CAN HERE YOU, CHLOE!" Booms Tori's voice from the bathroom. I have fits of loud laughter from her annoyance. I'm surprised to see Derek chuckling silently to himself as well. Simon scurries out of his and Derek's room, he eyes us laughing.

"Whats up with all the yelling and laughing?" he questions looking unknown incredulous. Tightening my grip on the top of my towel, i walk backwards towards my door.

"I'd love to explain and all, but I'm going to get of of the nude. Later guys," I pattle into mine and Tori's room, locking the door behind me. Once in the room, I drop my towel and walk over to the bag of clothes Andrew had found around the safe house, presumably from other previous guests. I discover two tank tops a size too small, but will have to do - i put the night black over the emerald green one on. Then I find a dark gray and green camouflage pair of capri's. I slip on white ankle socks with loose fitting sneakers, and hop out of the room. Leaping down the steps, I make my way to the front door, sneaking--

"'Where are you going?" Came a voice - Andrew.

I spin around to see him leaning against the stairs reeling. He has his brows raised in questioning. I sputter for an answer. "I-I was just g-g-going for a walk...." I admit.

Andrews face turns apologetic as he looks over me. "I'm sorry, Chloe, but I don't think right now is the best time to be going for a stroll," he muses, running his hand through his dirty blond hair. Looking Andrew, he couldn't be anymore over 25. With a strait chiseled nose and clear, tan cheek bones, he could be 21. But supposedly, he's in his thirty's - i don't see how that's possible. "I'd love to say you could, but it's too dangerous--"

"I'll take her," applies Derek. He comes stepping down the stairs with his emerald irises focused on me. "I'll walk with her. She'll be safe." Andrew knows Derek is capable of keeping me "safe", so that's why he let us free.

We scurry - well _I _scurry - out the front door and down the front yards path. Derek takes long strides and meets back at my side.

"Hey," he says, "what's going on?"

"Nothing," I reply. "Just wanted some fresh air."

"Chloe, you are a horrific liar."

"That is not true."

"Oh yeah? Prove it. Look me in the eyes and tell me nothings wrong." I stop in my tracks, bringing him to a halt beside me. I swivel to face him. His dark eyes pierce mine, and the strength to lie vanishes. The feeling returns. The somersaulting, cartwheeling feeling in the pit of my stomach. My mouth opens to speak, but hangs open. "Tell me: Everything is fine, you wanted to go for a walk. Say it," says Derek in a low voice.

"I.... I-I," trying to break the spell I turn my eyes away and out to the dark black horizon. "Everything is fine, I wanted to go for a walk," is what I say but instead comes out like: "."

Before his response, I stride forward again. Wanting deeply to get farther away from the... "safe" house. I hear Derek sigh, and then his quiet footsteps following silently behind me the whole walk.

xxxXxxx

Tori decided she didn't want to sleep in the same room as me.

Said, 'I don't want to be near little miss innocent when she raises dead cockroaches in her beauty rest'. She is now in the room across the hall. Fine by me. At least now I don't have to deal with her hillbilly snoring.

So when I awake the next morning, I'm alone in the room. Shining light gleams through the beige curtains of the four grand windows. I sit up in bed and stretch my arms above my head, yawning. I pull back the thick sheets of the bed and step down from it to the bag of clothes. I don't dare risk taking a shower - knowing Tori would be striving for revenge - so I change directly into the clothes I find.

"G'morning Chloe," whistles Andrew as I enter the open kitchen. He's leaning over the stove with a frying pan at hand. I smell eggs. I smile. Simon sits at the kitchen table with an open box of Lucky Charms. He looks up as I enter, and gives me his infamous friendly smile.

"Well, look who's awake. Mornin', Sleeping Beauty," Simon chuckles and pulls out the seat next to him for me to sit. I smirk and go to sit beside him. "How'd you sleep?"

"Good," I lie.

"Good," he repeats with his brown eyes studying me, "so I was thinking...." his vice goes a bit low and quiet. Andrew leaves the room in search of clean towels. Simon scoots his chair closer to mine, "that maybe we could--"

"Hey, Simon have you seen my white shirt?"Derek walts inside the kitchen with an irritaded look. Simon sighs and turns to look at his brother.

"Have you checked what your wearing?" Simon respnses with irrtability. Derek slowly looks down and see's he's wearing his white shirt. His face turns to his regular sneer.

"My _other_ white shirt, Genius." Nice save.

My eyes narrow on Derek - trying to figure him out. He has a face of innocense at the moment, like he really is missing his _"other" _white shirt. Bull. I cock my head to the side still thinking.

"I haven't seen it," Simon replies coldly. I've never heard Simon talk that way to his brother. I must be missing something, at least I'm trying to figure it out.

"Oh," is all Derek says before he makes his way to the fridge scourging through it. Simon turns back to me biting his lip.

I ask, "What were you going to ask--"

"Never mind," Simon cuts me off. Then he stands and exits the room without a glance at his brother. "I need a shower." I watch his retreating figure walk down the hall and disapear up the stairs. I hear the shower turn on moments later.

"Where did Simon go?" Asks Andrew as he re-enters the kitchens with dish towels at hand. Derek grunts something unitellable from where I sit. "Oh, the shower."

"Yeah," I somewhat clarify, drawing idle spirals into my palm.

"So Chloe, you hungry?" He lifts a plate with two over-easy eggs, slices of toast, and bacon strips - looking delicious. "Or would you like cereal--"

"No, no, no..... I'll have it," I say smiling when he chuckles. I find myself a fork, take the plate with a thank you to Andrew, then I retreat back to my seat to start my breakfast feast.

"Wow, you actually eat," Tori says as she enters the kitchen, "maybe you can put some meat on that toothpick of yours."

Using my best flat and annoyed voice: "Ha. Ha. Ha. You are so damn hilarious. Really, I'm dying of hysterics. How do you come up with this? I'll never know...." Tori's mouth goes into a thin line, her eyes are full with dark humor, "Don't make me--"

"Don't make you what? Throw your little bitch tantraum? Well - that's not very little now is it?" I place my fork down and meet Tori's glare. Her eyes are black with anger. I usually don't let our bites get this agressive but.... too late. Tori's hands ball up at her side. Should I be scared...? "Oh please, don't have a freakin' spasm. Jeesh, could you calm down or do you need to 'unleash a thousand hornets at me from the pit in hell'? Seriously, Tori. Calm. Your. Ass. Down," her face goes pale.

"Now don't talk to me like that Chloe Saunders!!!" She screaches pointing her finger at me. I rise from my chair an swap her hand away.

"What are you, my mother?"

"You wish," I got the double meaning from her retort. I feel my face go warm with red heat - not embaressment - deep anger. My fists curl and uncurl behind me, I bite my lip. Something within, forces me to take a step forward. She's got a slight smirk on her face of satisfaction. The Something inside makes my hands take Tori's shoulders and shove. Tori trips back and lands strait on her ass. She's not on the floor a second before she leaps to her feet and comes at me. I expect a shove back until I see Derek restraining her around her waist. Andrew is holding my wrists together in an unpainful restrain. Tori is rustically growling at me but it is no challenge for Derek - at all. I'm actually a little disapointed that Derek thought I wouldn't need his stronger restraints instead of Andrews.

"Hey! No fighting. Tori!" Andrew shouts, Tori tries to fight Derek - outcoming fruitless. Tori actually comes to the senses that she can't escape Derek's iron grip, and stiffens under his arms. "Okay" she tells him, keeping her eyes locked with mine. "I'm done." Tori slips away from Dereks arms and retreats out the back door to the walking path. Andrew lets go of my arms and follows Tori out the screened door before it closes. I'm left with Derek.

"What the hell was that?" He barks at me, narrowing himself in front of me. I look at him with wide eyes. He's getting mad at_ me? _Uh uh, no no no no.

"Who are you barking at? Me? Are you serious?" I shout back at him. He always has to take out shit on me? "I didn't do anything!"

"No, you didn't." He admits, "But do you think I worry about Tori getting hurt? Hell no. She could get hit by a truck and I would just walk by and spit at her corpse. Fact of the matter is, she could have ripped your throat out if I hadn't been here to restrain her."

"Do you really think I'm that helpless? I can handle myself!!" I thrust my hands at his chest from anger, he doesn't even flinch, but it helped release a bit of my frustration. "I never asked for your God damn help!" That time he did flinch.

Did my words really hurt him? Holy...

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**Reviews are nice :)**


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